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Mini shutting down factory team in WRC

October 11, 2012

Mini is ending financial support of its factory team in the World Rally Championship following the 2012 season. Photo by LAT PHOTOGRAPHIC

Mini announced on Friday that it is pulling its financial support from WRC Team Mini Portugal as well as the team's drivers Chris Atkinson and Paulo Nobre, at the end of the 2012 FIA World Rally Championship season.

The Mini John Cooper Works car will still be available to customer teams wishing to run the car in WRC competition, but there will no longer be financial support available from Mini.

“Mini will abandon its works involvement in the WRC at the end of the 2012 season,” said Dr. Kay Segler, senior vice president of Mini business coordination and brand management. “By the end of the season, WRC Team Mini Portugal will have competed in every rally in 2012. As such, in accordance with FIA regulations, we will have achieved the WRC homologation for the Mini John Cooper Works [car]. In doing so, we would have achieved the prerequisites to allow those interested to continue to run the car in the WRC on a customer rallying basis. BMW Motorsport will continue to further develop the 1.6-liter turbo engine in conjunction with Prodrive.

“In a very difficult commercial environment, Mini has played an active role in ensuring that friends of the Mini brand can continue to participate in motorsports. As such, the Mini family is retaining its presence on various international platforms and getting even closer to its customers. We would like to see the Mini John Cooper Works WRC continue to run competitively in WRC and other championships.

“We would like to thank Prodrive, WRC Team Mini Portugal and our partners for the good cooperation, and wish all drivers, teams and customers a successful future in rallying.”

The Mini John Cooper Works WRC car made its rallying debut in 2011. Mini drivers collected three podiums and many top-10 finishes at the wheel of this car. Dani Sordo finished second at the comeback of Mini at the Monte Carlo Rally in January, 2012.